Fuu's Story
by bishounen lovah
Summary: PART 2 OF TRILOGY: Fuu had been seeing glimpses of a green-haired man. Why now when she has decided to fall out of love of HIM? An F/F reincarnation fic. *FIN*
1. Fuu

**MUST READ BISHLOV NOTES:**

[1] This is the second part of my MKR reincarnation trilogy, the others being "HIKARU'S STORY" (fin) and "UMI'S STORY" (coming soon). It would be better if you had read part one but I would try to make this story as self-sufficient as possible. All three stories are interrelated but have different circumstances.

[2] HIKARU, FUU and UMI are 19-year-old, college students at the same university and lives together in one apartment. Those already part of the story since "Hikaru's Story" are LANTIS (reincarnate name is Tooya), ZAGATO (Saito), EMERAUDE (Esmeralda) and FERIO (still called Ferio). Oh and MIRA, you know, that girl whom Lantis saved in season two.

[3] I've been sending out EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS whenever I update a story so if you want to receive one then please leave your email address.

[4] I hope you'll enjoy this chapter just as much as I enjoyed making it. And though F+F is not my fave pairing, I'll try to do justice to their, uh, love affair. SMILES AND KISSES TO ALL!!!

***This chapter coincides with Chapter 5 of "Hikaru's Story".**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own MKR or any of its characters. CLAMP does. This plot is a product of my imagination. Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.**

**FUU'S STORY**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 1

_This has got to be the worst day of my life! Whoever invented that 'when it rains, it pours' phrase ought to be shot. Stupid man doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut._

Fuu brushed her drenched hair from her face and grimaced at the aptness of her thoughts. She had long since stopped running in the pouring rain since it seemed like it was getting her wetter. So she decided to just walk home with all of the grace she could muster despite her looking like a drowned cat (she prefers that better than a rat).

And if she had been a less refined lady than she was, she would have cussed explicitly from Tokyo to Timbuktu. People always thought her mild-tempered as an angel but she was only human. She had her bad days just like everybody else.

It all started when God decided to wake her up in the most awful manner and timing. She had another one of those dreams where she left Cephiro…and Ferio. Those dreams, more often than not, end with him running after her and always reaching her. It was not realistic but it never failed to cheer her up.

But last night's dream was different. He just stood there…did not run after her. So she just kept on walking away from him, turning around once or twice to look back. But still he just stood there and she kept on walking.

Not long after, she woke up with a start and found herself on the floor rather than her bed. She could feel a bump rising at the back of her head then realized that she was late for her class. She quickly reached for her glasses atop the bedside table only to realize that she had knocked it down during her fall and was now lying with a deformed shape where her buttocks had landed.

She sighed in resignation and fumbled through doing her morning bathroom ritual and changing her clothes. Afterwards she took a case from her vanity drawer and went on to put the contact lenses that she rarely used. A couple of failed attempts later, she had managed to keep the darn film on her eyes. She rushed out of the apartment and ran all the way to the campus, having missed the bus.

When she got there she found out that her class was cancelled for the day. She just shrugged good-naturedly and went to the cafeteria to grab breakfast. At the cashier she realized that she left her wallet at home. Not recognizing anybody in the crowded room, she was not able to borrow money and was forced to give back the food. Then she realized that she also left her history report that was due today. The said paper was on her desk underneath her wallet.

It was a good thing that the professor was very understanding and had even lent her some yen for lunch. This was one of those days when Fuu was thankful that she had a goody-two-shoes reputation. Had she been a slightly delinquent student, she would have instantly gotten an F and a reprimand from the professor.

When things started to look up, she realized that the higher she was, the harder she would fall. In the middle of chemistry lab, her eyes got irritated since she was unaccustomed to wearing contacts. She removed them for a while to soothe her eyes under the open faucet. It was then that her group mate had accidentally knocked a beaker of hydrochloric acid and the liquid spilled directly in the contact's case.

The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur…literally. Fuu had just wanted to go home and lock herself in her room and let the day pass. But her conscience wouldn't let her play hooky. She had never cut class before and she wasn't going to start now. Not when she could still see within three feet of her.

That had got to be the worst decision she had ever made. Well, next to her decision of leaving Ferio. By the end of her last class, a migraine had already made itself known and was making things more difficult for Fuu. During her walk back home she was shoved, bumped, tripped and yelled at. Good thing there was no hentai around for all hell would break loose if she was groped too.

The bright city lights of Tokyo had given her enough aid. She didn't think she could have walked upright if the streets were dark. But as usual, just as she was about to thank Kami-sama for the very few, very small blessings, something bad would come her way again. This time it was the sudden rain. She had waited it to stop but when it seemed that it wouldn't, she braved running in the downpour then slowed down to a walk in resignation. She wouldn't melt under the rain but she could get into an accident if she kept on running.

Not that she thought that anything else could go wrong.

_I should have really just stayed in bed, she thought glumly as she fought another shiver from building. She was just wearing a thin, mint green, short-sleeved dress that stopped three inches above her knees. Definitely not something one should wear in a very wet weather._

Though she made it a point not to get strength from her dreams, they always seemed to indicate what kind of day she would have. Usually she would have a more or less wonderful day whenever she would dream of Ferio. If she didn't get one of those dreams then she'd be feeling down the whole day. But this was the first time her dream turned out that way and as a consequence today was a disaster.

_What do those dreams mean?_

_What does last night's dream mean?_

_Ferio__._

_Did he really love me? Was that why he was running after me?_

_But he had stopped. Does it mean he no longer loves me?_

As she blindly walked through the wet streets of Tokyo, she thought about her lost love, her stupidity of leaving Cephiro, and the much bigger stupidity of holding on to memories she knew would never be.

Hikaru and Umi always said to her that she was lucky. According to them, it was obvious that Ferio loved her probably as much as she loved him. And because of that she was lucky for they didn't know if their loved ones loved them back.

But to Fuu her situation was worse off, almost knowing that she had left someone so important behind. Almost knowing that there was a chance for her to live a happy life in that mystical world even without her family.

As long as she was with him.

But no matter how much she cursed herself for her stupidity…and no matter how much she wished to see him again…she knew it was all in the past. She should move on and forget about him no matter how hard and painful it could be.

She was nearing her apartment. She automatically stepped off the curb in order to cross the street. She was so distracted with her thoughts that she didn't notice the speeding car heading her way. It wasn't until the blinding headlights caught her attention. Like the proverbial road kill on a highway, she stood there rooted in fright. At the last possible moment she closed her eyes awaiting the inevitable pain that accompanied the accident.

But it never came. Well at least not in the magnitude she was expecting. She was vaguely aware of being dragged away and pushed to the ground. She was aware of rolling on the asphalt street and stopping abruptly. Most of all she was aware of the soft warmth underneath her.

"Daijoubu?"

Her eyes instantly opened at the sound of the voice. It sounded very familiar but she knew it couldn't be _his_. Despite their closeness, she couldn't see her rescuer clearly. All she could see through her tears that were mingled with the rain were an impish grin and a mop of wet hair that looked suspiciously green. She would have looked more closely but then she realized their disconcerting position.

It seemed that he had pushed her out of harm's way and had managed to break her fall by shielding her body with his. She was now lying atop him in the middle of the street.

_How embarrassing!_

It was a good thing it was dark because Fuu was sure that her face must be as red as Hikaru's hair. She immediately scrambled off the stranger and offered him a hand. As soon as their hands touched, there was a jolt of electricity that ran through her body.

_Or maybe I'm just shivering madly because of the cold rain. Yes, that must be it._

"Daijoubu?" the man repeated again.

"Un." She replied quickly although she couldn't quite look at the man from embarrassment. "Are you? It seems you got the force of everything."

"I'm fine. Nothing I couldn't handle. You should really be careful especially when crossing the street."

"Un," her face reddening some more. They started crossing the street together with his hand on her elbow, guiding her and preventing her from stepping on potholes. When they reached the sidewalk, she bowed gracefully in gratitude. She wanted to get out of the awkward situation not just because she almost got herself killed but also because she knew she looked awful, all wet and soggy.

"Thank you very much for your help." She gave another bow then left. Had she been more attentive to her surroundings instead of her discomfited thoughts she would have heard the man asking her to wait.

She entered the building and gave an apologetic smile to the night guard since she was getting the lobby really wet. Soon the elevator came and a blond woman came out. She didn't pay any attention to her for she was anxious to get home.

"Tadaima!" Fuu yelled as soon as she entered the apartment. It wasn't very long when Umi greeted her and fussed over her drenched form. She was shoved to the bathroom and was ordered to take a warm bath. As soon as that task was done she went to bed, refusing dinner.

She was exhausted…

And frustrated…

_Oh, Ferio, how I miss you so._

With that last thought, she promptly fell asleep, anxious to dream what kind of day tomorrow will be.

TBC…


	2. Ferio

_This chapter goes out to Raksha for being the very first reviewer of Fuu's Story. She gets to have a secret prize. So secret in fact even I don't know what it is and if she'll ever get it._

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own MKR or any of its characters. CLAMP does. This plot is a product of my imagination. Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**FUU'S STORY**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 2

_What the heck am I doing here anyway?_ Ferio lightly scratched the white bandage on his left cheek as he glanced up at the building across the street.

It had been three days since he arrived in Japan from Spain. Three long days. He did not just move here to be with his sister, Esmeralda, and her new husband, Saito. He came here because he thought it was interesting to live in their parent's homeland. Their parents were born and raised in Tokyo but had to move to Spain when his father had been assigned as the ambassador of Japan to Spain.

He and Esmeralda were born there in the city of Madrid. But even though legally they were Spaniards, their parents raised and taught them the Japanese ways. For 19 years he lived his life to the fullest—meaning there were lots of parties, booze and women. His 'neechan always told him that he was too happy and too carefree. What she didn't know was that he was far from being happy...or content.

Though he was a picture of a carefree young adult, Ferio knew that something was amiss in his life. He could feel the emptiness in his heart, making him ache with desire. The problem was he didn't know what it was that he wanted...what it was that he needed. He never told Esmeralda about this ache for he knew she wouldn't understand. He didn't tell anyone about his _real_ reason on why he decided to live in Tokyo.

He wanted to find that 'thing' that would make him complete and for some inexplicable reason his guts told him that he'd find it here. In Tokyo.

_So why am I here again?_

He had been standing in front of the apartment building that Esmeralda visited a few nights ago for almost thirty minutes now. He knew what he was waiting for or rather _who_ he was waiting for. What he couldn't understand was _why_ he was waiting for _her_.

_What was it about her that draws me to her?_

His mind instantly conjured the lovely face of the brown-haired woman he saved that rainy night. There was something about her but he couldn't point his finger on it. He had seen more beautiful women than her. Dated them too. But deep inside he knew that this brunette was someone special.

~Flashback~

He first noticed her while he was contemplating on banging his head on the steering wheel due of boredom. She was walking on the sidewalk at the other side of the street with a dejected look on her face. Normally he would have just shrugged the sight off no matter how odd she looked walking under the pouring rain at such a slow pace with no umbrella or raincoat. But something drew his eyes to her like metal to magnet.

_It's her sadness_, he realized. Her sadness touched his heart like nothing or no one had ever done before. He instinctively knew that she was missing someone just as bad as he was craving for another...whoever that person may be.

His eyes followed her movement and habit made him skim her body from the crown of her head to the sole of her feet. Her wet brown curls were plastered to her face and neck but he knew that it was soft and thick when dry. Her face had delicate angles that made him think of the angels painted on the massive high ceilings of Madrid's basilicas. And her body...

The cut of her dress gave him a hint that the woman was conservative. Nevertheless the way that the wet clothing clung to her soft curves made his nose sweat despite of the cold weather. She wasn't as voluptuous as most women preferred to be. It was a good thing for he never did like the big breasted type even though most of the girls he dated were such. No, this woman was just..._right_.

Something about that last thought made his heart jump. For a brief moment—a nanosecond really—he felt that emptiness inside him fill up. He shook his head at the absurdity of it all. He blamed everything to boredom.

_What the heck's 'neechan doing up there anyway?_

He forced his gaze from the woman to the entrance of the building where his sister disappeared to. It was very weird. Esmeralda had just met that Hikaru this morning and she was already making house calls. Not to mention she made several calls to 'high places' in order to acquire the redhead's address.

Ferio looked back at the woman across the street. Usually he would have laughed if he saw someone, may it be male or female, bump head-on with a lamppost but when this woman almost collided with one he couldn't help but frown. He sat up straighter in the driver's seat and almost willed his eyes to guide her safely down the path. When she was about to cross the street, a bright light reflected by the side mirror caught his attention.

An idiot driving at a great speed was heading straight to her obviously with no intention of slowing down or warning her off. Ferio didn't give himself time to hesitate. He jumped out of the car and ran towards the now petrified woman. He tackled her to the ground and protected her body from the impact as much as he could. He felt the speeding car whiz by as they rolled across the pavement.

The adrenalin ebbed out of his body after a few seconds but his heart kept on beating with rising crescendo. The woman was much more attractive up close. She got this cute little nose and soft pink lips. But when she opened her eyes..._Dios_! Her eyes were as green as emeralds only much brighter and much, much more exquisite.

He felt a sharp disappointment when she scrambled off him especially since her movements excited him. He didn't get to delve on any perverted thoughts since he got that pang of loss again when she got out of his arms.

She was shivering and he wanted to pull her in his arms and give her his warmth. Then again she might think he was being too fresh and might slap him silly. So he just helped her cross the street, allowing himself the small consolation of touching her smooth elbow while guiding her.

All the while he thought how beautiful her voice was. It may sound corny but her voice really was music to his ears. It got a melodious quality emphasized by the concern and politeness of her words. When he steered her yet again from stepping on another pothole one thought came to his mind.

_This girl really needs a man to protect her._

But before he could even think about volunteering himself for the job, she was already bowing in farewell. "Thank you very much for your help," she said.

"Wait! Chotto Matte! What's your name? Hey!!!" Ferio yelled and tried to follow her but was blocked by a group of people. He saw her enter the apartment building and went in to follow her when the crowd dispersed. By the time he got in, the elevator door was already closing, giving him a brief glimpse of a mop of brown hair at the back of the semi-crowded elevator.

He gave out a sigh in resignation. He watched as the numbers above the elevator door light up and stay lit every few seconds. There was no way he could guess which floor she got off. For some reason he was very disappointed.

"Ferio."

He glanced at the source of the voice and saw his sister looking oddly at him. Why wouldn't she? He bet he looked ridiculous dripping all over the marble floor with a lovesick look on his face. He felt another drop of liquid run down his cheek and glide at the edge of his chin. Lifting a hand, he caught the irritating droplet in his palm and was surprised to see that the liquid was ruby red.

Esmeralda walked up to him and pressed a handkerchief on his left cheek. "Mou. I leave you alone for a few minutes and this happens. That gash looks deep. We should go back to the hospital and have that checked up. Does it hurt?"

He just looked at her in surprise. It was just now that he felt a sharp sting on his cheek. He must have gotten it when they slid against the rough pavement. Funny how he couldn't care less if he get another scar on his face. The important thing was _she_ was safe.

~End of Flashback~

He scratched his bandaged cheek again. The cut did need a few stitches and would probably scar. He already had one at the same cheek. A long one that ran diagonally downward. He got that (as well as another across his nose) when he fell from a tree when he was just nine. And now he was going to get another that ran across the old one. That would give him an x-mark and probably a piratical look.

Not that it mattered. From what his many admirers told him, his scars made him sexier rather than marred his good looks. So what was another scar to add to his lucky charms?

But luck was not on his side today. Forty minutes had already passed since he started his stake out and there was still no sign of that woman. Why was he even bothering? She was just a woman. Plenty more of them out there. And for all he knew she was just visiting someone last night.

_Probably her boyfriend._

With one last look at the building's doors he gave up waiting and strode to his parked car. He got a class in a few minutes and it wasn't a good first impression to arrive late.

~Scene Change~

Ferio chose a seat in front of the class by the door. Though he was never serious about women and relationships, he took pride at his devotion to his studies. He was not a genius but he tried his best to get good grades. From experience he knew that sitting anywhere else would distract him. People, women in particular, tend to keep on sneaking glances at him all throughout the class and it irritated the heck out of him. Even now he could hear a group of girls whispering excitedly behind his back.

"All right! Settle down people!" Their psychology professor yelled as soon as he entered the room. "If you want to talk, let it be something about this class."

"Aw, come one, doc! What's there to talk about?" yelled someone from the back of the room while the others piped in their agreements.

"I'll give you something to talk about...your term papers." That elicited a collective groan from the class and a grin from the professor. "Your paper is about assessing human behavior. Each of you is going to profile someone through letters and you're going to be profiled by that someone too."

A hand was raised. "Can we choose our partner?"

"Now that would be too easy, wouldn't it," the sensei raised an eyebrow. "You would profile a stranger. People from the other class. I've already asked them to write their pseudonyms in these papers and you should think one for yourselves. You're going to exchange letters through me and from those letters you must give me a profile or conclusion on what kind of a person your secret partner is."

"What are we supposed to write in those letters?" Ferio asked. He was interested in this project. It was different and it beats the heck out of the usual research.

"Anything under the sun! Your family, love life, the weather, your dreams, nightmares, how you think I'm such a crappy teacher..."  That got the class laughing. "BUT...but you cannot say anything about your name, appearance or anything that would clue in your identity. Where would be the fun in that if you knew who your partner is or vice versa."

"Cool! It's like having a secret admirer or something!" said another guy.

"Just try not to fall in love with your secret partner, Kagami. You might be paired up with a guy like yourself."

Excited chatter filled the room as a box with the other class' names was passed around. Ferio took one of the rolled papers and silently wished for a girl before taking a peek. For some reason his heart twitched when he saw the code name.

"Iyashi no Kaze," he whispered to himself in wonder.

_Healing wind..._

TBC...


	3. Fuu

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own MKR or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**FUU'S STORY**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 3

"Mail call!"

Fuu's head automatically came up from the book she was reading when she heard their psych professor's booming voice.  It had always been this chaotic ever since their experimental profiling had started.  No wonder the guy was popular in campus.  He didn't act so stuffy like the other teachers and his projects were always interesting since they require as much hands-on as research.  It was more work but at least it was fun.  Each student sat down and squirmed in their seats in excitement as they waited for Tokuoka-sensei to call their names.

He had his record book open and was referring to the list of names and their corresponding pseudonyms.  The letters were sealed inside uniform white envelopes with the pseudonyms of the receivers written on the outside.  Once he called out the real name of the receiver, that person would go up front, retrieve the letter from the envelope then signs it as proof that he or she received it.  Tokuoka-sensei kept the envelopes in order to keep track on who had been dutifully sending and receiving mails.

Fuu had to admit that she was as excited as her classmates although her primness did not allow her excitement to show.  She kept on telling herself that it was because it was a very interesting project but deep down she knew that it wasn't her only reason.  She was anxious to hear from him.

_Alma Perdida…Lost Soul._

When she first read his pseudonym her heart stopped beating for a moment and made her gasp under her breath.  She knew instantly that this person was someone she could relate to.  Someone who could understand what she was going through.  At that moment, the regrets that plagued her at giving such a personal code name for herself vanished.  Some problems she could solve on her own, some she needed her best friends and family, but there were things that could only be told to a complete stranger.  They lacked the bias that family and friends had while at the same time gave logical opinions needed to clear the mind even for a brief period of time.

That was what drove her to use such pseudonym…Iyashi no Kaze.  Her own attempt to heal herself of the pain of loving and losing.

She almost bolted out of her seat when her name was called.  She nodded her thanks to Tokuoka-sensei, signed the envelop then walked back to her seat.  This was his second letter, the first one received two weeks ago.  Letters were sent in alternate weeks.  This Monday, Fuu's class received the letters then will give a reply by Friday.  Next week it will be the other class' turn to receive and send.

There was nothing much in his first letter.  Just random nonsensical things.  But from that letter she gathered a lot of things about him by reading in between the lines.  She knew that he was a guy because he said something about his big sister always pinching him by the ear.  Big sisters always do that to little brothers.  Kuu certainly had never pinched her on the ear.  Of course she never gave her a reason to do such a thing.  He also said something about missing his parents but was glad that he got to be on his own.  That told her that his family was close knit and that he was a caring son.  Plus there was that obvious fact that he was not living with them anymore.  Either he was not from Tokyo or that he just moved into his own apartment.

Even with just his handwriting she could tell some things.  The strokes of his pen were rough and barely legible.  This told her that he was an impatient man.  A man who would rather talk than write.  But his sentence construction and choice of words show that he was a highly educated man.  Just by his pseudonym she could tell that he was either well-read or well-traveled.  She knew that the words were Spanish.

Her reply letter was like his.  Mostly about her family and friends.  A bit about her likes and dislikes.  She didn't answer his question on why her name was such though.  Instead she threw the question back at him and asked why _his_ name was such.  She wasn't being secretive.  She just didn't know how to explain it without sounding like a nutcase.

Looking around the room, she saw her classmates either grin like idiots or grimace in boredom.  Their professor was writing some things in his record book.  The whole fifty minute period was allotted for this project which left them free to take down notes for their profiling or write their replies.  She took a deep breath before unfolding the green paper.

_¡Hola!  ¿Cómo esta usted?_

_So it's Monday again ne?  Usually I hate Mondays but ever since this project started, I'd been looking forward to it.  It may sound weird but I got all excited last week when I got your reply.  You sounded like someone I could relate to.  Not many people are serious about their studies.  Usually they just come to class for the attendance and finish the subject with a passing mark.  But not me.  I like studying but I'm not a genius or anything.  I just try to do my best and make my family proud._

_So what course are you taking?  What are your subjects for this semester?  I took odd bits of everything but it's not because I'm a late enrollee.  I got Psych101 because I wanted to understand people, then there's Communication for speaking skills.  General Astronomy since I've always been fascinated with stars, Social Science because, well, my father's sort of in politics, and Math mainly because it's required.  And there's Phys Ed.  I got the last slot for outdoor survival.  That's a cool class.  I can't wait for the hiking trip.  For some reason I love the wilderness even though I've never ventured out of cities before._

The letter went on and Fuu's lips tweaked higher and higher.  It sounded like this man was a fun, sociable person.  She was right when she guessed that he was not from Tokyo.  It said so in the letter that his parents worked in Spain and had moved here in Japan to learn about his heritage and watch over his newly wed sister.  He didn't trust his brother-in-law that much, said that the guy was too obsessed with his sister.  There were mentions about the people he met here on campus and the differences between Spanish and Japanese girls.  She guessed he was some kind of ladies' man from the way he described them as though an expert on the subject.

But the positive far outweighed the negative.  Time and time again he would go back about his sister and her husband.  Even through his protectiveness, he could admit that he'd never seen his sister so happy.  He said that perhaps it wasn't the protective instinct that made him a bit resentful of their relationship.  Perhaps it was jealousy.  He was jealous of what they have…of what he could have but at the same time, couldn't have.

_It's quite unfair how you threw my question back at me but since I deem myself a gentleman, I will let it go.  Though I'd expect you to answer the question next time._

_Have you ever felt like a part of you was missing?  Like there's an insistent nagging at the back of your mind and heart?  And that you'd never truly feel happiness unless you find that missing part?_

_That's the first thing I feel whenever I wake up and the same thing that keeps me awake at night.  That's why I called myself "Alma Perdida" because I feel like a part of my soul is lost and that's why I feel so incomplete._

_Tell me, have you ever felt that way?  Can you tell me how to get rid of that feeling?  Or am I just going insane?_

_Perhaps that's the case but every time I see my sister with her husband, the ache always comes back.  Sometimes it even tears my guts to shreds.  And it's gotten worse when my brother-in-law's brother started looking sickeningly smug because of his new girlfriend.  Maybe that's it.  Maybe I should get myself into a serious relationship.  But then none of the girls I've dated here and in __Spain__ could give me what I want._

_None of them could give me my soul back._

_Heh!  Sorry about that!  I guess I'm getting too dramatic for you, eh?  You must be thinking, "How corny can he get".  Yeah, well, I've never told anyone about this and I'd appreciate it if you keep mum about it.  It could ruin my image.  There's something about the anonymity of this project that makes me feel safe to open up to you.  But there's still that chance that you'd know who I really am.  I don't mind if you'd know.  I trust you.  Don't ask me why._

_Now it's your turn.  Why did you call yourself Iyashi no Kaze?  Do you think it's possible that Destiny brought us together so your wind could heal me?_

It took a lot of effort from Fuu in order to keep her face bland.  But if anyone could see behind her new glasses, he or she would have seen the turmoil in her green eyes.  His words were so close to home.  Oh, she knew that feeling all too well.  After all, that emptiness had been plaguing her day in, day out for the last five years.  But unlike him, she knew what this was all about.

He was right though about losing part of his soul for he was unconsciously craving for his soul mate.  In fact, he was quite lucky because he would be able to find his soul mate sooner or later.  Whereas for her…well, it was quite impossible since her soul mate lived in a faraway land that was nonexistent to all earthlings except for her and her two best friends.  His case wasn't hopeless, hers was.

But was it really?  Was Fate so cruel that he'd punish her to an eternity of loneliness?  Perhaps but should she just go on as is?  Should she just mope around and keep on feeling sorry for herself?  Maybe she should just tear a leaf from Alma Perdida's book.  He never gave up despite the pain.  He was still trying to live his life the best way he could and he never gave up searching even though he didn't know who or what he was looking for.

Perhaps it was time to get over Ferio and time to look for someone else.  She knew that nobody could replace her one and only love but it was time to stop punishing herself.

It was funny how a stranger could show her the light no matter how much her eyes hurt from the brightness.  All she needed to do was take a step closer to the light.  The question is how?

"Daijoubu, Fuu-san?"

Fuu's head automatically lifted and looked at the girl beside her, an enquiring smile already pasted on her lips.  Sayuri was one of the select few that she could call a friend.  They've been together since high school and were fortunate enough to remain close even now in college (though not as close as Hikaru and Umi were to her).

"Nani, Sayuri-san?"

"You look so serious there.  Your pen pal's that boring huh?"

"No, actually he's quite…interesting," Fuu said as she bowed her head again to tuck the folded letter in her book.  The curly strands of hair curtained her face and blocked her soft smile from view.

"Interesting?  Any idea who he is?"  Sayuri moved her chair closer to Fuu's.

"I don't think he's anyone I know.  All I gathered is that he's new here in Tokyo and that he came from Spain."

"New…Spain…"  Fuu watched her friend's face scrunch up as though in deep thought and wasn't surprised when she suddenly yelled in triumph.  "OMG!  I think I know who he is!"

"Shush.  Keep it down, Sayuri-san.  Tokuoka-sensei's looking suspiciously at us."

"It's got to be him," Sayuri whispered excitedly at Fuu.  "He's the newest and currently the hottest bishounen on campus.  And he lived in Spain all of his life.  That's a common knowledge in the grapevine.  Surely you've heard of him?"

"Er, no.  You know I'm not into those kinds of things."  Fuu had to sweatdrop at her friend's starry eyes and flushed face.

"No matter.  Boy, talk about luck.  I'd do anything to have a hunk like him write me letters.  Say, do you wanna see him?"

"I don't know Sayuri-san.  Isn't that against the rules?  Sensei might get angry."

"He's not going to know.  Besides, you're not going to talk to him.  You're just going to look at him.  That won't compromise your profile much.  Well, are you interested?  Their psych class isn't until two."

Common sense told her that she shouldn't.  That even by knowing what he looked like, her profile would be affected.  But curiosity got the better of her.  After all, didn't she say that she was turning over a new leaf?

"All right," Fuu had on a stern face.  "But we'll just look.  I won't talk with him and neither would you."

"Me?  Why can't I talk to him?"

"Because if you do talk to him, you'd just keep on blabbing about it and my term paper may get affected."

"Okay, fine.  So I'd meet you at the steps before two?"

"I have a lab before that but maybe I could get out earlier."

"Sugoi!  You won't regret it, I promise.  His name is…"

"No.  Don't tell me.  His face will be enough.  The lesser I know about him, the better.  Besides if his name is common in the campus rumor mill then chances are I might hear more things about him.  His face will be enough to quench my curiosity."

"Okay, if you say so.  If you change your mind don't hesitate to ask me."

"I won't, Fuu briefly smiled at her friend before taking out her notebook to write down some notes on her profile.  At the back of her mind was a shadowy outline of a man's face.  It looked like Ferio but knew that it was not.  Perhaps it was the guilt of having decided to move on with her life.  That was why she was imagining the face to be his.  But by the end of the day she would see the clearer version of the face.

She was about to take that one step towards the light.  By the end of today, she would know who Alma Perdida was.

TBC…

**BISHLOV NOTES:**

[1] Sorry for the slow update and the lameness of this chapter.  I think I'm running out of creative juices.

[2] I had already edited Perdido Alma to Alma Perdida.  Thanks to those who corrected me.

[3] '¡Hola!  ¿Cómo esta usted?' means 'Hello!  How are you?'

[4] Thanks for all of the lovely reviews, minna-san.  Rest assured that I'm trying my best to make this story as sappy as I can.


	4. Ferio

**BISHLOV NOTES:**

[1] So SORRY for the delay, minna-san.  I got sick (among other things).  I'll try to make it up, I promise.

[2] Please take note that Ferio's pseudonym is now ALMA PERDIDA and not PERDIDO ALMA.  The former is the correct translation for Lost Soul.

[3] This chapter is dedicated to all of the reviewers with special mention of JAMIE, LSR-7 (and her sister), ANDREA MEIOUH, MARLENE, and FIREFLY OF HELL.  You guys know why.

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own MKR or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**FUU'S STORY**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 4

Ferio walked at a leisurely pace, greeting and waving at new acquaintances.  In a matter of one month he'd reached the celebrity status on campus.  Money and good looks tend to do that to a person, not that he flaunted both.  People had radars for these kinds of shallow things and it irritated the heck out of him sometimes.  He had learned to be wary of such people.  People who saw the outer shell rather than the real person.

It was no wonder he had no close friends.  Though all of his friends were cool and good-hearted enough, there was not a single one of them he could fully trust.  There was no one he could confide to…none he trusted enough to keep his secrets.  Esmeralda-neechan used to be his keeper but then he shuddered at the thought of Saito ever finding out about them.  She was no snitch but she was not allowed to hide anything from her husband.  Marital responsibilities or something.

Not that he'd told her damning secrets.  No, that kind he kept to himself.  Like his loneliness.  And the recurring dreams he'd been having lately.  Saito must not know about those.  No one should.  Or else people might think he was losing it.

Of late he'd been having this odd dream.  It started when the profiling for his psychology class began.  The moment he read his partner's pseudonym he was inexplicably drawn to her, so much in fact that he started dreaming about her.  And to top it all up, Iyashi no Kaze had taken form of that brown-haired woman he saw so many nights ago.

Talk about a nutcase!  He'd been dreaming about two strangers.  One he'd never met and the other he barely knew.  And then there was that dream itself…weird.  It felt more like a déjà vu rather than a product of his overactive brain waves.

"Ferio-san!"

He already had one foot on the steps leading to the Humanities building but turned back to see who called him.  He smiled when he saw that it was the redhead Hikaru then grinned like the Cheshire cat when he noticed that she was closely followed by a scowling Tooya.  All men who dared to admire the young woman's beauty were suddenly finding themselves bearing the brunt of her boyfriend's dark glare.  Poor blokes.

Ferio stamped down any desire to goad his brother-in-law by standing close to his precious Hikaru.  Instead he stayed put and waited for them with an enquiring smile.

"Tooya!  Hikaru!  What a surprise!"

"Ferio-san, konnichiwa," Hikaru greeted in her bubbly way.  "I believe this is the first time I saw you on campus.  How do you like school so far?"

"It's pretty cool.  A bit harder but I'm getting used to it."

"That's nice to hear."

"So what are you guys up to?  And I must say, Tooya, blue becomes you.  It's nice to see that you are finally having some fashion sense," Ferio couldn't stop himself from teasing the guy anymore.  Ever since he and Hikaru got together, he'd been acquiring more articles of clothing that had colors other than black.  Ferio didn't know if Tooya was trying to impress his girlfriend or…trying to impress his girlfriend.  It was a welcome change though.  About time the guy got some color in his life, both literally and figuratively.

As expected, the tall, dark guy scowled at him as he placed a possessive arm around Hikaru's waist.  "I came here to fetch her."

"We're going to go to that new café a few blocks away to grab a snack.  Want to come?"  Hikaru offered.

"And cramp Tooya's style?  No thanks.  I value my life too much."  The couple was so easy to tease.  Hikaru blushed while Tooya scowled some more.  Honestly, they're not much of a challenge.  So easy to predict.  Ferio glanced at his watch and decided to lay off them.  "Anyway, I've got a class in a few minutes.  I guess Tooya's lucky stars are working overtime today.  I'll see you guys around okay?"

With a brief wave, he turned back and climbed the steps in a faster pace.  He always got this feeling to run away whenever those two were around.  They were a bitter reminder that he had no one to feel possessive about, no one to protect, and no one to love.  Though he was pleasant to them on the outside, inside he was squirming with envy.

He wanted what they have…completion and fulfillment.  To have someone who would fill in that hole in his heart.  Surely that wasn't too much to ask?

As soon as he entered the classroom, he was greeted by two of his female classmates.  They were flirting shamelessly and usually he would have flirted back.  But for some reason he had lost interest in flirting and dating and went through those motions half-heartedly.  Today was no exception.  He just gave them a smile he hoped would satisfy them then sat on his chair and opened his book, sending out a silent message that he was in no mood for socializing.

He stared blindly at the open page, his mind drifted back to that one dream that had been plaguing him night after night for the past three weeks.

~Flashback~

He was sitting atop a tree branch, one leg hanging in the air while the other rested on the rough wood.  He looked different, the clothes he had on reminded him of those in medieval times not to mention the heavy sword he was polishing.  Those and the woods he was in were foreign and yet familiar at the same time.  The forest was quiet, not a single sound could be heard.

And then suddenly a twig snapped.

Ferio automatically looked down and saw _her beneath his tree, looking up at him.  Her hair as golden as dark honey and her eyes as green as emeralds.  For a long moment they stared at each other, reacquainting their eyes of every inch of their bodies._

_Dios, what a sight to behold!  Even with those glasses on she's a beauty._

_Eh?  Glasses?_  A part of his mind told him that she didn't have it when he met her but another part recognized that it belonged in the picture very much.  He didn't mind her having those glasses.  In fact, it complimented her face greatly, adding a sense of mystery to those lovely eyes.

He jumped off the tree, landing on both feet several yards away from her.  He decided he was going to talk to her and finally find out her name.  She smiled softly, encouraging him to take a step closer…and closer…and closer.  He saw that her eyes were sparkling, not with laughter but with tears of sorrow.  He didn't want that so he started to reach for her, wanted to comfort her.

The moment he raised his hand a sudden wind started blowing.  It ruffled his hair and clothes but it wasn't irritating.  It was quite the opposite actually.  The wind soothed him as it circled around him, gently touching his face and whispering sweet nothings in his ears.  His eyes closed involuntarily and savored the comforting feeling.

Almost miraculously, the emptiness inside of him started to fill up.  Warmth started to spread from his heart flowing outwards to his limbs, leaving a tingling feeling on the tips of his digits.

_Healing wind._

He knew in an instant that this woman was special.  He had felt it before but now he knew it to a certainty that she could be the one.

And then the wind was gone just as suddenly as it appeared.  Golden eyes opened to find that his fears were correct.

The woman disappeared.

And his heart ached in greater magnitude than even before.  His soul had tasted completion.  The wind brought him that.  That same wind ripped it out of his hands too…leaving behind a larger hole in his heart.

~End of Flashback~

It was the same dream…over and over again.  There wasn't much of a variation.  Sometimes the place would differ.  In the woods, atop a mountain, in a castle but the underlying message was the same.  That there was a minute chance the woman could complete him.

Most of his spare time was spent hanging around that apartment building but he never caught glimpse of her again.  He wanted to ask around but hesitated.  Nowadays, a guy hanging around and asking about some woman, whose name he didn't even know, did not leave a good impression.  People might think he was either a weirdo or a psycho, probably even both.

So he waited in vain.

His classmates started pouring in the room but he paid no attention to them.  He glanced up only once when he heard a voice through the closing door.

"Fuu-san!"

He didn't know why he did it but he thanked God that he did.  Through the small glass window of the door, he saw the woman whom he had been searching for the past weeks.  He bit back a gasp of surprise and felt his face flush with excitement.

She and the other girl who had called her were looking inside as though searching for someone.  He knew that they couldn't see him because he was sitting so close to the door.  He watched her turn around again and saw a blue-haired woman walk up to the pair.  They talked for a while, cast a brief look inside the room then parted ways.  Ferio didn't think twice.  He shoved his book back inside his knapsack and rushed to follow the brown-haired woman, ignoring his professor when he passed him in the hall.

He saw her going down the front steps with the blue-haired woman.  He followed them, careful to stay discreet.  During his rare moment of stalking, he openly admired the woman even if it was just a back view (not that he was complaining or anything).  His vision of her in his dream was so accurate that it made him wonder if he hadn't actually seen her before that almost accident.  Her hair was so thick and curly he had this insane urge to bury his face against it and her body was so well sculpted that his hands twitched in reaction.  But the glasses!  He couldn't quite believe that she was actually wearing glasses…just like in his dream.

She was a quiet one, he observed.  Her companion was doing most of the talking.  Whatever few words she would utter in reply, Ferio drank in like a man dying from thirst.  Her voice, he found out, could calm him like the healing wind in his dream.

They went a few blocks from campus and saw them enter that new café.  Through the window he saw them take a table at the left side of the room.  The place was crowded; there were no more available tables.  At the far right corner of the room were Tooya and Hikaru, looking oblivious to everything and everyone but themselves.

Coming to a quick decision, Ferio pushed the door open and went in before all of his courage left.

TBC…


	5. Fuu

**BISHLOV:**  *Sigh* I can't make this as dramatic as Hikaru's Story.  Too much chocolate I guess...

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own MKR or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

FUU'S STORY 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 5

It was a pretty little place.  The ambience was cozy and from what she could smell, the caffeine's bound to be delicious as well.  The new cafe was a hit.  It was full of college students and young professionals who were taking a break from their hectic schedules.  Fuu's mocchacino was placed beside her tiramisu.  One sip of her drink almost made her forget her disappointment.  Almost but not quite.

She had rushed around her lab class earlier that afternoon just so she could leave early and meet Sayuri but her teacher wouldn't allow it.  The guy wanted her to help out those having problems with their, uh, problems thus she almost didn't make it with her rendezvous.  Fortunately, their psych professor used the same room for all of his classes so she knew where to go.

Sayuri was already there.  Unfortunately, Alma Perdida wasn't.  At least that was what Sayuri said when they peeked through the window of the door like a pair of awestruck high school students.  They could have waited for him but Umi showed up and Fuu didn't know how to explain to her that she was using a stranger to try to forget Ferio.

She didn't know what disappointed her more, missing Alma Perdida or _missing_ Ferio.

_Why can't my love life be normal like the rest of the world's?_

Speaking of love life...

"Is Hikaru seeing someone?'

Umi's immediate response was choking on her espresso when the black liquid went down the wrong pipe.  "What did you say?"

"Is Hikaru seeing someone?"  Fuu calmly reiterated her question.  What's wrong with her friend anyway?  Why was she all-flustered like that?

"Er, what makes you think she's seeing someone?"

_Something's up_, Fuu's glasses turned opaque in suspicion.  Umi was being evasive, not to mention she just downed a very strong, very hot dose of coffee and was ordering another with a shaky hand.  She was looking at everywhere and everyone but Fuu.

Why was she acting so weird just because of one harmless question?

Did she think she'd damn Hikaru because she broke off their unspoken vow of spinsterhood?

Argh!  How pathetic she and her friends could be?

"I'm just asking, Umi.  No need to be defensive.  I just noticed that she seems happier lately and she's been going out more frequently.  There's nothing wrong if she's dating.  In fact, I quite envy her."

"You do?"  Umi calmed down enough to take a sip of her new batch of caffeine.

"Yeah.  It means she finally put Lantis to rest and she's moving on with her life."  Umi coughed again but this time Fuu didn't notice.  Her tone took on a wistful note when she spoke again.  "I envy her because she found the strength to move on.  But then again, she had always been the strongest among us."

"You're pretty strong too, Fuu."  Umi reached out to squeeze her hand.

"At least I'm trying to be.  What about you?  Don't you want to move on?"

"Sometimes...sometimes we don't have to.  Sometimes Destiny just throws things at us.  It's all just a matter of opening our eyes and catching the right opportunity."

"Eh?"

"Oops.  Did I just say that crappy thing?  Ohohohohoho.  I think I had too much coffee.  Eherm.  Waiter, can I have an éclair please."

Fuu shook her head in amusement at her friend.  Umi always passed herself off as an airhead but she knew more than anyone else in this world that she was anything but.  At that exact moment she saw a flash of red hair being ushered out by a tall, dark guy.  "Hey, isn't that Hikaru?  Is that the guy she's been dating?"

Fuu craned her neck to take a better look but Umi's arm kept on getting in the way.  "Yoo-hoo, waiter, I think my friend needs another tiramisu and get me another cup of espresso.  Ooh, that chocolate thingy looks absolutely sinful.  Give me three of those."

"Umi, what has gotten into you?  It's as if you didn't want me to see Hikaru with that guy."

"Aw, come on, don't be too paranoid.  Here, have a bonbon."

"I'm sure it's delicious but I have to get going.  I got to do some research."  Fuu laid some money on the table then gathered her things.  She wasn't put off by Umi's stunt but it made her curious.

"But they haven't gone far yet...I mean...eeto..."

"Don't worry.  I won't follow them.  I can't say I won't bump into them but I won't follow them."

"Demo..."

"Relax.  I was just kidding," Fuu laughed at her friend's affronted face.  "But I really do have to get going.  I'll see you at dinner, okay?  Ja!"  With a wave, she strode out of the cafe.  As she walked towards the library, she thought about Umi's odd behavior for the nth time.

_What was she trying to hide?  Why was she hiding it, whatever it was?  That guy kind of reminds me of Lantis.  No.  It couldn't be...could it?_

"Anou...sumimasen..."

Fuu stopped walking and turned to face the person behind her.  She raised a hand to block the sun from her eyes.  She could barely make out a silhouette of a man sprinkled with fairy dust.  The sun could really play tricks to the eyes.  She shook her head at the silly picture in her mind and allowed her vision to adjust to the light.

She started looking at him from the feet up. She wasn't checking him out, really she wasn't.  But it wasn't her fault if she noticed his muscular legs, trim waist, lean form and..._Green hair?_

_Ferio?__  It couldn't be!_

But then he was there.  He was really standing there.  Green hair, scars, cheeky grin and all!

So she just stood there in disbelief.  She stood there even when he asked her if she was all right.  Even when her books fell when she heard his voice.  Even when he rushed to pick them up.  Even when their hands brushed when he placed them back in her arms.

She just stood there when he paled beneath his tan, when he muttered something about a migraine, and when he all but broke into a run away from her.

Still she stood there.  She would have talked to him, would have followed him had it not been for the shock that rendered her weak and speechless.  After a while her mind started functioning again.  This was no coincidence.  She started piecing everything together.  Her dreams, Umi's weird behavior, Hikaru and that Lantis-look-alike...

They were all tied together.

And now she just saw Ferio.

In her dazedness, she didn't notice where he ran off to but she knew where she could find answers.  Fuu rarely got mad.  Scratch that.  Fuu _never_ gets mad but there was always a first time for everything.  She started working herself up as she brisk walked home.

How dare they keep something as important as this was from me!  Lantis and Ferio...here in Tokyo!  And they didn't saw it fit to tell me!

Never before had she been able to open their front door at such a record time.  Once inside she noticed Umi shove something red, blue and black in the tall but crowded utility closet.  The blue-haired imp tried to block her from opening it but Fuu had just about enough.

"Damn it, Lantis, I know you're in there!"

And then there was absolute silence.  Yes, that was a very angry Hououji Fuu who cursed.  Chibi Umi had a very fat sweatdrop hanging over her head.  The closet door promptly swung open and showed a chibi Hikaru and chibi Lantis with their jaws beyond low.  And to make the scene all the more ridiculous, there was a cute little mouse at their feet blinking and wondering why two humans barged in his home.

Umi, since Hikaru was prodding her into action with a garden rake no less (even though they didn't have a garden in the first place), was the first to speak up.  "Ehehehe.  Fuu!  What a surprise!  What are you doing here?  My, what a lovely day for a walk.  Care to join me?"

"Quit it, Umi, I'm not amused.  You two, get the heck over here.  You've got some explaining to do."  Fuu tapped a foot as she waited for the three to take a seat in the living room.  Umi and Hikaru were giving Lantis _the look_ and Lantis, being Lantis, had on his usual poker face.

"Well, what have you got to say for yourselves?  Really!  Going behind my back and keeping secrets.  Why, if I hadn't seen Ferio today with my own two eyes I still wouldn't know anything."

The others' faces brightened.  "Ferio?  You've seen Ferio?  That's good!"

"No, it's not good!"

"It's not?"  Question marks popped out of Hikaru's head.

"No.  I froze up.  He was there and I froze like a complete idiot."  Fuu sighed and tiredly sat opposite them.  "You should have told me."

"They couldn't, Fuu-san.  If they told you, it would have compromised the contract," Lantis finally spoke up.  He explained about what happened when they left Cephiro, about the contract, about what could happen if she knew before she met Ferio.  Just one look at Umi's downcast face and Fuu knew she had no right to be angry.

"But why did he run away?  He followed me then he ran away.  It doesn't make any sense."

"What did he look like when you saw him," Umi asked.

"He looked fine at first but then he looked like he'd seen a ghost."

"Perhaps he was getting his memory back."

"I could check up on him if you want," Lantis stood to leave.  "He's probably at his apartment right now."

"No, I'd rather you leave him alone.  I don't want his memories compromised.  Thank you for the offer though."

"I guess I'd better get going anyways."

"I'll walk you to the elevator," Hikaru stood too.  Umi stayed behind and watched as her friend stared out of the window.  She gave her a brief hug then gave her the space that she needed.

Fuu looked outside for a few minutes and watched the lights of Tokyo turn on one by one.  Somewhere in this same city was Ferio.

Her Ferio.

He came for her.

The question was would he remember?

TBC...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  MAY YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES HAVE A PEACEFUL, BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS 2003!!!


	6. Ferio

**BISHLOV:**  Fast ne?  I told you I'd make it up to you guys.  Thanks to LSR-7 for providing me with information.  This is my favorite chapter for this story.  Enjoy!!!

**WARNING:**  Inaccurate spoilers ahead due to dubbing, faulty memory and revisions for fluff.  Some are accidental while most are intentional.  Please don't hold them against me.

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own MKR or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

FUU'S STORY 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 6

_I can't believe I'm stalking her._

Ferio had been spying on her ever since he entered the cafe, even before that actually.  He wanted to speak to her again but lacked the courage to walk up to her and introduce himself.  So he invited himself to Tooya and Hikaru's table, much to Tooya's irritation.  He had the perfect, unobstructed view of her, though she wouldn't be able to see him unless she sought for him.

Fat chance that would happen.  It seemed to him that she didn't remember him or had chosen to forget him.  Those thoughts hurt him a bit though he didn't know why he should be hurt in the first place.  They were nothing but strangers.  But if they were how come he felt like he's known her all of his life.

Perhaps he _was_ going crazy.  That gave him a perfect excuse to follow her around, didn't it?  He didn't know how long he'd been watching her.  She had a drink, a snack and few words with her blue-haired companion.  She left shortly after Tooya and Hikaru left.

And here he was, following her around again like a lovesick puppy (if ever there was such a kind).  Dang!  What a pathetic fool he turned out to be.  The least he could do was walk beside her and introduce himself.  He'd picked up a dozen of girls before.  Why couldn't he do it now?

_Walk faster,_ he prepped himself, _that's it.  Now, get her attention.  At the count of three.  One...Two..._

"Anou...sumimasen..."

_I said at the count of THREE._

I can't help it.  I'm too nervous.

She turned around in slow motion at least that was how he saw it.  The sun was facing her so she blocked the rays from her eyes.  He waited patiently for her vision to adjust and even stood straighter when those green eyes swept over him.  He expected two things from her.  Either she gaped in recognition or smile in polite enquiry.

What he didn't expect was shock.  Not the pleasant kind but the mind-numbing kind.  The moment she saw his face, she stood petrified as though she just saw an extra terrestrial doing a striptease in front of her.  Okay, so maybe sick humor wasn't the best way to handle this but what could he do?  Her blank stare was really freaking him out.  Maybe she ate something that was disagreeing with her.

"Daijoubu desu ka?"

Her only response was dropping her books.  She wasn't being coy or doing the flirting bit.  She really was shocked at seeing him.  To his recollection, he never had this kind of effect on any girl or woman.  It was as if he'd struck her dumb.

Ferio rushed to catch a few loose papers then picked up her books.  He placed them back in her arms.  While doing so, his hand accidentally on purpose brushed her cold, clammy ones.

It was his turn to be shocked.

In the space of ten seconds various images flashed in his head.  The forest, the castle, a gigantic robot, a jumping marshmallow with long ears, a small man, an arrow, his sister, his sword, a jeweled egg, Saito, Tooya, Hikaru, that blue-haired woman, and... His green-eyed beauty.

His temples suddenly pounded.  It was unbearable.  Rather than faint in front of her, he chose to get the hell out of there.  He'd rather she'd think of him as a jerk than a weakling.  Without a word of farewell, he staggered away from her, occasionally bumping into people, dogs and poles.  Through his blurry vision, he saw a deserted alley.  Without second thoughts, he entered that dark alleyway then promptly passed out.

~Dream Sequence~

He was back in the woods, resting against a tree and gazing at a weird looking house.  It was another déjà vu, nagging his mind to remember.  He was expecting something from that house and as if on cue, the door opened and out came a woman.

_Fuu!  What's she doing out here at this time of the night?_

_Wait a minute...how did I know her name?_

_Ah, yes.  That other girl in school called her Fuu._

_School?  I should be in school.  What am I doing here?_

_Argh!  My head's killing me!_

Next thing he knew she was right beside him looking down warily with cautious green eyes.

"I've brought some food.  You must be pretty hungry."

"Thanks."  It was the only answer he could think of.  Where she got the food (and the house) was beyond him.  She and her companions were not carrying anything when he first saw them.

They stared at each other, sizing up one another.  At least _she_ was doing that.  He could tell that she didn't trust him.  Ferio, on the other hand, could feel an unreasonable pull towards her.  Among the three girls, he liked her best.  He felt this irrational need to know everything about her.

"Can you stay and keep me company for a while?"

"Whatever for?"

"So we could talk.  It gets lonely out here."

_I'm lonely._

"I'd better not.  They might get worried about me.  Enjoy your meal."  And then she was gone.

Ferio sighed in disappointment, looked up and was surprised to see the sun up.  He then noticed that he was now standing but couldn't move.   He was in the middle of a battlefield filled with monsters.  The lower half of his body was turning into a stone.  He looked back and saw her trying to aim her bow and arrow at the monster beyond him with shaking hands.

"You can do it, Fuu, I know you can."

And she did.  With just one arrow, she destroyed the enemy and saved him.  He went to her, barely noticing the change in his surrounding.

"I can't accept this," she quietly said as she gingerly held the precious jeweled orb.  It wasn't precious because of the stones and gems adorning it but because the Pillar herself gave it to him.  It held sentimental value.  He normally wouldn't give it to anyone but Fuu was an exception.  She was special.

"Take it.  It will give you luck and fulfill your wishes.  I know you'll take good care of it."

He reached out and closed a hand over hers, making her hold the orb tighter, while an invisible hand clutched his heart in a firm grip as he observed her pink tinged cheeks more closely.

"I don't deserve your trust.  Not after the way I acted towards you."

"It doesn't matter.  Goodbye, Fuu."

He continued to walk away even though half of him wanted to stay behind...to protect her...to be with her.  A moment later his own jeweled orb made a sound.  He recognized the voices as Hikaru's and Umi's and he held his breath as he waited for Fuu's wish.

"I wish Ferio is all right."

And his heart felt like bursting.

_She cares.  I can't believe it._

He wanted to go back to her.  He turned around and what he saw drained all the blood from his face.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

A sand monster was rushing towards her.  He yelled for her to run, tried to distract the evil being using his orb communicator.  But it was too late.  The monster had swallowed Fuu.  His knees buckled under him in shock and disbelief.  _It can't be. This can't be happening._

And then the monster burst into half and Fuu was standing there, holding her new sword, looking more stunning than ever.  She was truly an amazing woman.  No wonder he loved her.

_Love?_

Whoever thought a wanderer like him would fall in love?  But being the wanderer that he was—the loner that he was—made him all the more vulnerable to the emotion.  He unconsciously craved for the fulfillment and security that love could offer...unconsciously craved for her.

Too bad they were gone the moment their duties were completed.  He had not only lost his sister but also the only woman he had ever loved.  Imagine his surprise and delight when she, along with the other Magic Knights, came back unannounced to Cephiro.  He had wanted to pull her in his arms but things were different.  _She_ was different, burdened by the guilt of having killed his sister.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, her green eyes downcast.

"For what?"

"For hurting you.  If it weren't for us, your sister..."

"If it weren't for you, Emeraude-hime would still be suffering.  It was her choice and not your fault."

"You're not mad at us...at me?"

"I could never get mad at you, Fuu, never."  He looked hard at her, reacquainting himself of her features, looking for any changes.  There were none except, maybe that she lost weight and her eyes no longer shone because of guilt.  "I missed you Fuu."

Her eyes widened in surprise and her face flushed either from embarrassment or excitement.  "I missed you too, Ferio."

_Ah hell_, he thought then risked reaching out to her.  She disappeared and he found himself running inside Fahren's mother ship, searching frantically for her and doing serious damage to those who tried to stop him.

"Fuu!  Fuu!"  He cried out as he went from one corridor to another.  _If they hurt her, I'll..._  "Fuu!"

"Ferio.  You came for me."

"Of course, I did.  You didn't think you'd get away from me that easily, did you?"

"You say the most ridiculous things," she replied but he could tell that she liked those ridiculous things.

"Come on, green eyes, let's go home."

"Good bye, Ferio."

He looked up and he noticed that the scene changed again.

She was leaving Cephiro...again.

He didn't think he could take losing her a second time.

He didn't think he could stop her if she really wanted to go either.  He wasn't that selfish.

But maybe he should have been.  Just once, he should have thought of his happiness.  In the least, he should have confessed his growing affection for her...should have asked if she felt the same way.

Perhaps then his remaining life in Cephiro would not have been miserable.  He could have at least had some closure.  A little bit of peace to help him carry on through every waking hour and lonely nights.

But all he had were memories and empty arms.

Since Fuu went back to Earth, every breath he took hurt.  His life went from useless to pointless.  He needed her, how he needed her.  But she was gone, taking with her a part of his soul and left behind the deep ache in his heart.

His consciousness was beginning to return.  He was waking up but he didn't want to.  He didn't want to wake up to the pain...to the emptiness.

_Fuu, come back to me._

~End of Dream Sequence~

"He remembers," came one whisper.

"It's a good thing you found him.  Fuu had been pretty upset when she came home," replied the other in the same hushed tone.

"Everything's drawing to an end."

"Will you go see her then?"

"Not yet.  There are some things I have to take care of first."

"Umi misses you badly."

"I know.  I miss her too but it isn't our time yet."

"When?"

"Soon, I hope.  I have to go.  Ferio's waking up."

"All right.  I'll see when I see you."

With a brief nod, the man stood up, drew his baseball cap low and all but buried his head in his jacket.  He looked left then right then cautiously merged with the crowd in the main street.

Meanwhile, the man who was left behind watched as Ferio groaned into consciousness.  The green-haired guy, who was still lying in the now pitch-black alley, took a while before he recognized his unexpected companion.

"Lantis, what...what happened?"

To be concluded...


	7. Fuu

**BISHLOV:**  This chapter is dedicated to all of my GORGEOUS REVIEWERS!!!  A big kissy thanks to MARLENE for the Spanish translations.  And a _loose_ hug for RUKAWA JOYCIE (didn't want to hit any broken bones).  MINNA-SAN, I hope you enjoyed the fic as much as I enjoyed making it (despite the headaches).

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own MKR or any of its characters.  CLAMP does.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

FUU'S STORY 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 7

An irritated groan was heard from under the pillow.  No one heard it though just as nobody else seemed to hear the annoying shrill of the telephone.  Fuu released another groan before throwing the pillow that was on her head.  She felt absolutely terrible.  She spent most of the night worrying about Ferio and had only managed to fall asleep just as the sun was peeking in the eastern sky.

And now, some insensitive caller woke her up from her precious yet disturbing sleep.  Where were Hikaru and Umi anyway?

One look at her digital clock made her groan again.  It was almost lunchtime.  Her housemates ought to have been in school for several hours now.  She should be preparing for class too but for the first time in her life her depression overruled her sense of duty.

School wasn't important right now.  Ferio was.

Any further thoughts about her beloved prince was cut short as, somewhere, the blasted phone rang again.  She forced herself to get out of bed and, in the process, managed to glimpse at her reflection.  Her hair looked like a bird's nest from tossing around in bed.  Her eyes were red and puffy from occasional crying.  Her equally red nose wasn't a pretty sight either.  If Ferio saw her now, he'd probably...well, she didn't really want to go into that _delightful_ thought.

The ringing continued.  She went out of her room and tried to look for the cordless phone.  It was plugged in on its base beside the couch.  On the nth ring, she groggily answered the phone only instead of hearing a voice she heard a dial tone.  She looked at the phone in confusion then noticed that the sound was still breaking the silence.  She zoomed in on it then realized that the ringing was coming from the corridor outside the apartment.

_Eh?  What's going on?_

Her mixed curiosity and irritation at its height, she fumbled with the locks of the front door and swung it open.  She scanned the hallway from left to right then down at her feet where the sound was coming from.  There was an expensively wrapped box on the floor and the ringing was coming from inside.  Slowly, she picked the box up and brought it inside, casting a last look at the closed elevator.  She sat on the couch and retrieved the white card inside the attached envelope.

_For my sweet Fuu._

With shaking hands, she untied the green satin ribbon that adorned the noisy box and lifted its lid.  Inside was a small cellular phone, its backlight blinking in time with the ringing.  The caller ID identified the incoming number.

_Ferio?_

Fuu's breath got hitched.  Was she still dreaming or had her depression finally transported her to cuckoo land?

A minute passed, the ringing stopped only to start all over again.  Whoever was calling was definitely persistent.  Or stubborn.  Either way the sound was stretching her nerves and was causing a mild migraine.  She reached inside and tentatively took the hand phone, half expecting it to disappear once her fingers touched it.  It didn't so she pressed the answer button and raised the phone to her ear.

She didn't say anything.  She didn't have to.  The moment the ringing stopped, a very familiar masculine voice replaced it.

"Fuu, meet me at the tower in an hour."

And then the call was terminated.  Just like that.

She didn't know what to make of that call.  One thing was for sure though, the voice was definitely Ferio's.

_Oh, God, what's going on?_

_He called me by my name._

_Does he remember everything now?_

_What if he doesn't want me anymore?_

_Please, let it be okay._

Such were the emotional thoughts that ran through her mind as she showered, dressed and fixed her harried face with no such luck.  She was too upset and too nervous and her green eyes reflected those emotions perfectly well.

_Calm down, Fuu.  Whatever happens, it will be for the best._  She gave herself a quivering, encouraging smile on the mirror then rushed out of the apartment.

Thirty minutes later, she was looking up at the Tokyo Tower.  Of course, there were many towers in the city but this was the only one that had significance to their relationship.  She looked around but didn't see anyone with green hair.

_Where am I supposed to go now?_  But even as her mind formed that question, her feet were already taking her to the elevator that led to the viewing platform.  And up there was where Destiny would find her again.  She could feel it.

Once there, she looked outside much the same way she looked outside her window the night before.  Brooding and yet hopeful.  Very hopeful.

After five long years she had never thought that everything was going to end this way.  She had never thought it possible for him to be here.  She had thought that she was the one who was supposed to go to him.  To Cephiro.  When she couldn't transport herself back there, she thought that all was lost.

Her love.

Her life.

Her dreams.

Her Ferio.

This was probably the only time when she was wrong for Ferio was here in Tokyo, wanting to talk to her.  It was a miracle.  Whether he loved her still was another miracle waiting to be seen.

God, how she missed him.  Five years of separation.  Five long years.

The first year she was hopeful...hopeful that she'd be able to go back and see her love.  The second year she was disappointed and perhaps a little incredulous.  They had risked everything, including their lives, for the safety of Cephiro and yet they were denied re-entry.  The third year she was in denial.  She couldn't quite believe that she would never see Ferio again...never see his boyish grin and golden eyes.  The next year she felt nothing.  She was numb all over and carried on her duties as daughter, sister and friend like some kind of pre-programmed robot.  But there was always that part in her heart that ached with longing.

This year she had wanted to move on.  She was tired of hurting...tired of craving for something she would never have.  She was tired of having Ferio's face plaguing her dreams.

But right at this very moment, she was plagued with overwhelming guilt.

How could she have just given up on their love?

How could she have lost faith in Ferio?

She felt guilty because she had wanted to move on.  She even felt the slightest bit of attraction to a man she had never seen before.  It was a good thing she never saw Alma Perdida.  If she did then her conscience would probably be having a field day right now.  Not that her conscience was leaving her alone either.  Various chiding thoughts kept on racing in her head, the worst of them caused her to close her eyes in shame.

_You don't deserve him.  How could you when you tried to forget him?_

I wasn't planning on forgetting.  I just wanted to move on.

_Same thing._

No, it's not!  I'll never forget Ferio.  I could never forget him.

_Alma Perdida..._

He's special.  He understands how I feel.  He reminds me of Ferio.  Nobody else has understood me but Ferio.

_And Alma Perdida._

And him.

A fresh wave of guilt washed her anew.  Did her curiosity of the man signify betrayal to Ferio?  Did she really not deserve him?  Probably.  Yes.  For Ferio was true to their love or he wouldn't be here in the first place.  Whereas she...

The cellular phone rang at that moment.  His name appeared on the screen again.

"Moshi moshi," Fuu answered.

"You shouldn't frown.  You're too pretty to have a sad expression on."

"Ferio!"

She swung around and looked among the crowd.  On cue, a group of tourists parted, allowing her to see him as he walked towards her.  A phone similar to the one given to her was held to his ear.  He terminated the call once their eyes met and pocketed the phone.  She did the same.

He walked towards her.  Fuu held her breath and waited for him.  She couldn't have moved from where she was standing even if she wanted to.  She was having enough trouble keeping her weak knees from shaking.

And then he reached her.  She raised her head and her eyes closed involuntarily when he cupped her cheek with a hand.  "What is it, love?  Tell me what's wrong.  I'll make it right.  Your eyes should be laughing, not crying."

"Oh, Ferio, I'm so sorry.  I don't deserve your love."

"Why do you say such a thing?  Of course you do."

"No.  I...I betrayed you."

"What?  What do you mean?"

Through the hand that still held her cheek, she felt him stiffen.  Her eyes searched his in panic.  What she saw was a mixture of confusion, worry and...Was that jealousy?

She rushed in explaining, in case she was wrong.  In case he was really angry and left her.  "I'm sorry, Ferio.  I thought I'd never see you again.  I thought it was hopeless, that I was waiting for nothing.  And there's this guy and he reminds me so much of you.  But I've never seen him before.  We just write to each other and I don't even know his real name and yesterday I wanted to see him so badly and I'm so sorry but..."

Ferio had cut off her ramblings with an exultant laugh.  Fuu looked down feeling guilty and, at the same time, silly.  He cupped her chin this time and nudged it to make her look back up.

"You were attracted to another guy?" he quizzed, his lips still not losing that grin.

"Well, yes...sort of..."

"You haven't met him yet?"

"Yes, I mean, no, I haven't."

"And you send letters to each other for some project in school," he stated another fact.

"Yes.  I'm so...how'd you know it's for school?"  She looked suspiciously at him and his grin only grew wider.  "Ferio..."

"And I suppose he's got some fancy pen name.  Something foreign perhaps."

"Ferio!" she stepped back in irritation.  Irritation in herself for being so slow and so stupid.  "You don't mean that..."

He interrupted her again when he finally pulled her in his arms.  He buried his nose in her neck for a while and breathed in her sweet scent.  A second later he was whispering in her ear, "You didn't betray me, querida, how could you when Alma Perdida and I are the same?  Iyashi no Kaze...my healing wind..."

"Ferio...do you feel complete now?"

"I realized last night, when I remembered everything, what was missing.  My soul was calling out to you.  Even though I didn't remember, my heart was seeking out yours.  And now I'm complete for I have you in my arms."

"Oh Ferio..." This time she said his name in wonder.  "I love you."

"Y yo también te amo.  Dios, Fuu, no sabes cuanto te he extrañado.  Cuando dejaste Céfiro, me quería morir.  Mi vida no tenía sentido sin tí.  Tenía un reino a gobernar pero no valía nada sin tí a mi lado.  Pero ahora te encuentro, mi alma perdida, y no te volvere a dejar ir otra vez...nunca." 

Fuu didn't understand a word he was saying but she didn't mind.  She knew they were sweet words and that he only reverted to speaking Spanish because that was the language he grew up with.  It was a natural reaction at an emotional moment like this.  But after a while she got tired of _his_ ramblings.

She did the only thing she could think of despite of her timid mind.  She moved her head a bit and gave him a kiss.  A chaste one.  On the side of his chin since it was closest to her lips.  Not that she had enough courage to kiss him on the lips anyways.  But it did the trick.  He finally stopped talking and gave her a hot look that made her toes curl.

_Perhaps that wasn't such a good idea after all._

And that was the last thought that went through her mind before it exploded into different colors.  Never had she imagined that a kiss would be such.  His lips were soft and lingering as he brushed them back and forth, occasionally nipping hers after a hard press.  All the blood rushed to her head and she feared she might faint from the delicious breathlessness.

"I love you, Fuu," he said the words she already knew through his kiss.

For Fuu, life couldn't be more perfect.

Finally, she and her prince were together again.

Finally, they can have their happily-ever-after.

~Owari~

**TRANSLATIONS:**

_Querida_ – beloved; dear; darling

_The one that lasted a whole paragraph_ - "And I love you too. God, Fuu, you don't know how much I missed you. When you left Cephiro, I wanted to die. My life had no sense without you. I had a kingdom to rule but it was worth nothing without you by my side. But now I found you, my lost soul, and I'll never let you go again...ever."   
  



End file.
